Connected lighting systems are a class of lighting systems comprising networked illumination sources, preferably connected via a wireless network so that the illumination sources are wirelessly controllable. These illumination sources can be controlled from various user interfaces, such as smartphone and tablet applications, via internet services, or via connected physical devices such as sensors and switches. The behavior that can be assigned to a connected lighting system offers more opportunities than traditional lighting systems. For an end-user it is possible to specify how he wants his lighting system to behave. It is even possible to specify different forms of behavior at different moments in time. In other words the user is now able to use his or her lighting system not only for illumination or atmosphere creation but as a way to support or enhance any other activities happing in the home environment or online e.g. for entertainment, security, notifications, etc.
Thus connected lighting systems allow the lighting to add value beyond the domain of lighting alone. Additional functionality now becomes possible in other domains such as smart homes and entertainment. The latter can be divided in subdomains such as ‘on screen content’ (e.g. TV and movies), gaming and music. For instance, it is already known to add matching dynamic colored light around the television for watching TV and movies, which can be of great value to the viewer in that it creates a much more immersive viewing experience. Furthermore, connected lighting can also be used to enhance the gameplay of video games (computer games) such as console games, arcade games, or games played on desktop or laptop computers. Typical use cases focus on what effects the lamps render while the user is playing a game.
Within the domain of gaming, the lights of the Philips amBX for gaming kit are one example of an element in creating an immersive and engaging gaming experience. Now, with connected lighting systems, such as the Philips Hue system, these types of immersive experiences become within reach without the need to buy a dedicated entertainment lighting system. By connecting the lighting system to entertainment technology, the atmosphere and immersion into movies, TV series, games and music can be improved by providing dynamic colored lighting.